Earthsea Gallery

Kiwis love their birds and there is one in particular we hold very special affection for... the godwits. These little guys fly non-stop from Alaska to NZ every year, a distance of 12000km which they cover in 6-8 days flying in small groups and travelling at approximately 80km/hour. Their arrival in September and October is announced in Christchurch by the ringing of the Cathedral Bells. Once here they feed voraciously in our estuaries and intertidal areas preparing for the long haul back to Alaska where they will breed. Hundreds of Kiwis gather to farewell them in March when they fly to the rich estuaries of the Yellow Sea between China and Korea before the last leg of their flight on to Alaska. Their Asian feeding habitat is threatened and rapidly shrinking by reclamation, unfortunately at the peril of the godwits. We are forever hopeful these amazing little birds can survive the increasing pressures of human progress and population growth. Godwits can be seen in the estuaries across Golden Bay. Peter painted this group of godwits feeding on the western end of Pohara Beach.